Knights of the Old Republic The Knight Exemplar
by Insaneblain
Summary: After the death of Dark Lord Revan, Darth Malak continues to burn his way through the Outer Rim. A small group of unlik... well, actually kind of expected group of heroes must race against time to find a way to bring Darth Malak to his knees before he reduces the Republic to cinders. A huge thank you to my Beta, Carleen.


Knights of the Old Republic: The Knight Exemplar

_Disclaimer: The right to the Star Wars license belong to Disney, Obsidan, and formerly Lucas Arts. If I forgot anyone, please don't sue me! Just PM me and I'll add you in._

Flight Captain Carth Onasi, currently on loan as adviser to the _Endar Spire_, stood rigidly next to Captain Tarin Borgose, his brown hair swept back with a few strands hanging free over his forehead. The Jedi delegation was due to arrive aboard momentarily. Carth felt the sweat dripping down his back, in his role as adviser, he had be put in charge of getting both the Jedi settled and making sure everything was ready for their arrival.

Then just 6 hours before the scheduled arrival of the Jedi, a second itinerary was forwarded, and there was an extra person on it. That in itself would have been no great matter. But that it had been requested the extra person be billeted separately from the Jedi, when the _Endar Spire_ was crewed to capacity, leaving no extra dorm spaces.

Carth decided to take it upon himself to locate rooms for their important guests. First running through what felt like hundreds of pages of dorm, crew and medical data, looking for crew that could be removed that weren't vital or too political connected to raise a fuss. The problem for Carth was that soldiers he had the least issue of grounding were typical useless and therefore, had an exponentially higher rate of being somebody's nephew or niece and was on this trip for the chance to pandered to the Jedi, not that Carth believed Jedi could be swayed by something so little as some scraping and bowing. Finally when the Jedi's vessel was just an hour out, Carth found his luck, and the lucky victim.

The soldier had been injured in the cargo bay nearly two weeks prior. His legs had been turned to paste when a stack of extra power packs had been knocked over by a new dock worker who hadn't quite a handle on how to pilot a heavy lifter. Usually this was done by droids but it had been a last minute move and instead of just sending a new order to several droids, the dock overseer had ordered the new guy to demonstrate his talent. Turns out the FNG's talent was for mayhem, not stacking boxes.

The soldier had been in sickbay, submerged in kolto, after his bones were manipulated into the proper shape, the medical report didn't go into detail but the lead doctor had left a personal note on the file, liking the procedure to making something called pasta.

Carth had quickly kicked the soldier off of the _Endar Spire_. Well, had moved the soldier to the ground medical facilities, but it had been quick, the soldier moved into a transfer tank and taken through the cargo bay elevator and exit to meet an empty shuttle headed groundside.

With minutes to spare, Carth had fast marched in to the starboard hangar, taking his position by the Captain, as they prepared to meet their 'guests'.

An unmarked brown shuttle slide into the hangar, a quick hand signal from the Captain had the sergeants barking final orders to get the soldiers to attention, though most had straightened up when the shuttle first appeared, more out of curiosity than any sense of duty.

The ramp of Jedi's shuttle lower as the hatch disappeared upwards in the vessel. A group of four robed figures left the shuttle, two with their hoods down, both female, other two's faces were shrouded by their hoods. The fifth figure was not wearing a robe, she was at the back of the group, and seemed separate, her black body suit making her stand out as it clung her long athletic form in a very complementary way. Carth gave himself a mental shake, now was not the time to get distracted by the exotic beauty, her dark skin, her arresting yellow eyes, short black hair that brushed her chin, her small, but well shaped...

With a great effort Carth drew himself and turned his full attention on to the lead Jedi, who had her hood lowered. Carth almost whimpered, the Jedi had dark brown hair, piercing grey eyes, and full lips. He glanced at the Captain, and was relieved to see he wasn't the only one stunned by the two women. But his sense of duty now help him control draw back to the right mindset.

Carth took over the job of greeting the Jedi, having no ability to elbow the Captain discreetly, "Welcome board the _Endar Spire_, Jedi_."_

The lead Jedi, who Carth assumed was Bastila, responded in a low voice, dipping her head, "Thank you, Adviser Onasi." Her eyes drifted to the Captain, who even now seemed entranced by Bastila. She drew her eyes back to Carth, "My fellow Jedi and I wish to be shown to our chambers. Also the mercenary will need a guide to her own cabin." At this statement, the black suited, dark skinned woman stepped closer, and Carth got his first look at the body suit which was in actuality, a body glove designed for military grade armor, as he at last saw the nodes that would connect and hold armor plates to the material, which had the slight sheen of blaster resistant material.

"I will lead miss..." Carth tapered off realizing Bastila hadn't said the mercenary's name.

"Corinth Kasra," the melodious reply came from the mercenary herself.

"Corinth to her quarters, and the _Captain_ would be honored to guide your companions and yourself, Knight Bastila." Carth emphasized.

Fortunately, this had the desired effect and the Captain seemed to regain his sense.

"Of course, if you would follow me." The Captain pivoted on his left heel and smartly marched toward the corridor that would take the four Jedi to their quarters in the officer section.

Carth and the mercenary Corinth, march in the opposite direction towards crew quarters, Carth thinking frantically, the soldier that had been removed was male and he was about to put female merc in a cabin with young ensigns. It really could only end badly for the ensigns. Carth let out an almost inaudible sign.

"Something the matter, Captain?" the merc's voice carrying a hint of evil enjoyment.

"No, nothing, nothing's wrong." Carth responded hastily.

"You are a terrible liar, Captain. Let's hope the enemy doesn't get their hands on you." This sentiment brought Carth to a halt, "_What,_" he practically hissed, Corinth raised a dark eyebrow, "I was simply stating the opinion that if you were taken by the enemy you would rather easy to interrogate, with your temper, you would be easily manipulated into...rash action."

"You sound like a Jedi, Mandalorian, you better watch your bloodlust levels, you risk becoming a pacifist." Carth snarled back.

She simply laughed.

Carth hadn't realized they were about to pass her chamber. He jerked awkwardly to a stop and gestured savagely at the door. "Your quarters, you enjoy the company." Before he spun on his heel and marched away his boot heels click on the deck.

Corinth shook her head and disappeared into the room, the door sliding shut behind her.

-=0*0=-

The Hammerhead-Class cruiser soon broke geosynchronous orbit and headed out on a long journey to inspect multiple front-line planets.

After stops at three planets, with Corinth, and a select few of Republic Troops and Bastila and company journeying groundside each time.

Carth managed to gleam from several overheard conversations and several very brief briefs, that the Jedi were inspecting the upper echelon for loyalty, the troops were investigating the training and morale of the ground based soldiers, in fact twice Carth had joined them in their tests.

Corinth was supposed to take the temperature of the lowest classes on the various planets and report to the Jedi directly.

-=0=-

Carth took a dollop of depilatory cream, and processed to rub it in to the day old growth on his chin and jaw. Then grabbing a bottle of tooth clean liquid, took a mouth full and swirled it around his mouth for the require time to get rid of all the plaque and morning breath and spat it out. Then quickly with a little water wiped off the depilatory cream and hair and let it get washed down into the incinerator just beneath the sink.

Quickly disrobing and stepping into his personal shower unit, being an adviser had some serious perks in the case of personal space. Taking a five minute shower, three more than the standard soldier got.

Moving faster than usual, Carth threw on his uniform, twitched everything into place and headed to the Wardroom, for an upper command debrief with the Captain, the Executive Officer and the Jedi.

Carth was second to last to arrive, getting there before Captain Borgose. The Executive Officer, Commander Sera Haldas, a tall, broad-shouldered woman with short blonde hair and hazel eyes looked up from a datapad, as Carth sat across from her, greeted him with a nod,a slight frown shaping her mouth. The four Jedi taking up the rest of table to his right, with the Captain's seat to the left of Carth.

Carth glanced at the Jedi, Bastila, to the right of XO, was in a seemingly deep and quiet conversation with the other female Jedi, while the other two Jedi, sat by Carth with their face exposed revealing a male Twi'lek with blue skin, seemingly in meditation, and a large male Cathar with orangish brown fur and yellow slit pupil eyes was staring intently at a cup of caffa that was hovering, slowly rotating several inches above the surface of the table.

Captain Borgose strode in and plopped into his chair, promptly leaning back and putting his boot heels on the table in front of him. The Captain was a thin man, with a thick head of dark red hair, pale skin, and liquid green eyes. His voice as he spoke was confidence and rather strident, "XO, how was morale on Farghaust VI? As good as the local Governor told me at dinner?"

Haldas straightened in her chair and delivered her report in an almost robotic manner, citing long lists of supply, ammo, crimes committed by soldiers.

"Inclusion sir, morale is decent, but supplies are low and crime seems to be increasing as more reports of lost battles and casualties arrive on planet. The devastation of Telos and various other worlds have seen a serious dip in this particular soldier population due to a rather large Telosian group spread throughout the whole division."

Carth glanced towards the Jedi side of the table, Bastila was looking intently at Haldas, the female Jedi next to her had an expressionless face as she watched the Captain, the two male Jedi were both seemingly mediating.

Haldas continued, "From civilian informers, the situation is worse, food is growing scarce, drinkable water is getting contaminated by the increased manufacture of weapons and vehicles. And the promised supplies were supposed intercepted by the nobility, creating both a growing hatred of the upper class and an increase for black market goods."

The unnamed female Jedi next to Bastila showed only a flicker of annoyance, a tiny scrunching of the forehead, gone as quick as it had come.

Haldas brought up the final report on her datapad, "The last report is from the Mandalorian, she simply states that the black markets are getting more and more supplies every day and she can't find the origin of the goods. She also notes a dramatic increase of personal weapons purchased after the rumors of the supplies being hijacked by the upper class got into circulation."

The XO shut down her datapad and looked at her commanding officer for the first time during the meeting, "Sir, this planet is close to the breaking point as are the last two planets, the Republic is losing the Outer Rim, both to Darth Malak's fear tactics and corruption in the ranks of the higher classes. My own recommendation is to declare martial law and remove the upper class from power."

The Captain, who had been so confident at the beginning of the conference, seemed to have shrunken in his chair, he hadn't changed position, but he no longer tried to fill his chair.

"Tha...Thank you, Commander. I will, of course, give your recommendations to Sector Command. IF you would excuse me, I must... must finish the report for SC(Sector Command)."

Without another word the Captain rose and marched out the door before anyone could react.

An awkward silence descended on the room, or at least it seemed that way to Carth, the Jedi appeared quite content to let the silence go on unbroke and Commander Haldas was rapidly reading on her datapad.

After nearly half a minute of silence, Carth was preparing to leave. But Haldas beat him to it.

"Master Jedi, please forgive me, but I must finish these reports."

The Twilek Jedi nodded, "Of course, Commander, one must always perform one's duty."

Haldas saluted, then looked at Carth, Adviser Onasi, will you walk with me?"

Carth nodded, and rose, saluting the Jedi and followed closely on the XO's heels out of the wardroom.

They marched down the corridor in silence for a few moments.

"Captain."

Carth jerked in surprise at the suddenly sound.

Haldas kept speaking as if she hadn't noticed his reaction.

"Captain Brogose is unfit for command, I fear if we get into a hostile situation, he will not act accordingly."

"What is your suggest, Commander?"

Haldas' spine straightened even more, "We will have to assume command of the _Spire. _Our mission is too important to let political appointees damage our chances of success."

"Political appointee?" Carth queried, confused.

Haldas paused, let Carth process her words, "You saw how the Captain reacted to the news of the investigation, he hails from one of the noble lines on Farghaust VI. His posting here was due more to political maneuvering than any actual military merit."

"Great, just great." Carth hated politics, particularly noble politics, for their separation from reality during wartime, putting incompetent scions of state in power over starships they had no experience in commanding.

"Captain Carth, what I am looking for is an ally that will help me save this ship, if it should fall under attack. Will you help me?"

Carth paused, she was asking a lot, mutiny if Captain Borgose didn't step down willingly.

However, Carth knew his duty, he had to protect the Republic and Bastila was the best hope for the Republic and must be protected at all costs, no matter the punishment he received afterwards.

Carth stopped. Haldas halted and turned around, confusion written on her face.

Carth extended his hand, Haldas looked at it for a second in wonder, then grasped it.

"Yes, Commander, I will."

-=0=-

The fourth planet on the planned stops was Taris, an ecumenopolis planet, completely covered by an urban sprawl. This is where the Endar _Spire_ met disaster.

**Bridge of the _Endar Spire_**

"Dropping out of hyperspace in three...two...one," the navigator said almost sounding bored.

Captain Borgose, Commander Haldas and Carth Onasi were both on the bridge, the Captain because he was on duty, Carth because he loved to watch the entering and leaving of hyperspace. Commander Haldas was working with communication officer

The sight that greeted the bridge crew drove all boredom and sleepiness from them. The wreckage of the Taris Defensive Fleet floated around and among the Sith cruisers hung in orbit above Taris. Still more were already powering towards the _Spire_.

Carth was the first to process the scene and it's implications. He slammed his hand on the General Quarters alarm and dove for the ship's combat broadcaster station, jamming the headset on his head and flipping open all channels. "All hands report to battle-stations. This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill."

"Captain!" Carth shouted at Borgose. Borgose didn't respond, his eyes just flicked between the multiple enemy ships closing.

Carth swore.

Commander Haldas then took command.

"Bring up the holoprojector." She ordered in a perfectly calm voice.

As the 3d image that represented the battle space, Carth knew they didn't have a chance to get away. There were sixteen Sith cruisers in Taris space, ten were in orbit, three were headed straight for the _Endar Spire_, the last three heading out at full combat speed to create a net to push the Republic ship downwards toward Taris.

The _Endar Spire_ opened fire first, it's twin medium turboblaster cannon batteries firing as soon as the first Sith cruiser came into extreme range, the green bolts raking the silver vessel, causing only minor scorching on the hull, thanks to the strong armor and superior heat dispersal capabilities. The Sith cruiser responded in kind. It's red bolts pitting the Hammerhead's iconic forehull. The second approaching Sith Interdictor cruiser came was flanking to starboard, firing it's own turbolasers, sending shudders throughout the lone Republic cruiser. Even as it swung in to flank it launch boarding craft that slammed into the white and orange hull, burrowing in like parasites, releasing their deadly cargo of Sith troopers into the _Endar Spire_.

Bastila and another Jedi burst into the Bridge, both with their lightsabers draw, but not engaged. Bastila immediately headed to the Holoprojector, the other Jedi on her heels.

"Commander, what is the situation?" Bastila demanded.

Commander Haldas glanced at Bastila, "Onasi, fill her in."

Carth straightened, "We fell into a trap, Taris has fallen to Sith forces and we are currently being boarded, I assume to capture you. We also have a positive ID on Darth Malak's personal flagship the _Leviathan_, in orbit around Taris. Three Interdictor class cruisers are within firing range and three more are forming a net incase we slip past the first three, which is highly unlikely, also another ten Interdictors are orbiting the planet. Our best option is to abandon ship and get as much of the crew as we can into escape pods, if Malak is aiming to capture you, the escape pods will provide numerous options for his forces to hunt after and he can't shoot them in fear of killing you."

Bastila nodded, "Very well, are prepa-" suddenly the deck jerked as an impact barely ten meters from the Bridge pulsed on the second holoprojector reporting on damage to the ship.

Blaster fire was clearly heard through the blast door, when screams of fear echoed into the Bridge.

"Dark Jedi!"

The unnamed Jedi, looked at Bastila and gave her a direct look, "Bastila, go, I will deal with the Dark Jedi, you need to get off the ship, before it takes critical damage."

"But..."

"No, I'll see you ground-side. May the force be with you, Bastila."

Bastila bowed her head slightly, conceding the point, "You as well, Master."

The Master Jedi turned and head back through the doors both she and Bastila had just come through.

Bastila turned to Carth, "Shall we go?"

Carth shook his head, "I'll remain and get as many people off as I can. Good luck, Jedi."

As Bastila moved towards the opposite door that the Jedi Master had taken, Carth signaled two of the nonessential bridge crew to go with the Jedi.

After they left, Carth continued to locate and give orders to evacuate over personal comms to less the chance of interception by Sith forces. Commander Haldas had shoved Captain Borgose out of the way complete of the Tactical Display and was getting the pitiful number of starfighters the _Spire_ had on board into space.

As he was getting fewer individuals, he began to prepare to leave when the door that Bastila had left through burst open and six Sith troopers rushed in firing as they came, two Republic officers fell before they even rose out of their chairs, laying draped over their console or toppling sideways out of their seat.

Commander Haldas caught two bolts in the back and crashed in to the projector damaging the delicate equipment and it shut down completely.

The four remaining officers and Carth returned fire.

The six troopers lay dead, not have significant cover, and three of Carth's officers were dead, the Captain who had been frozen since they had dropped out of Hyperspace, lay crumpled, the back of his head burned away by blaster fire.

Carth knew he had to secure the remaining escape pods. Carth grabbed Captain Borgose's datapad, for it had the secure codes and the ability to track any Republic troops aboard the ship. Carth glanced at the other officer, a Mirialan female Lieutenant, with dark hair and deep green skin, a series of diamonds tattooed on her chin.

"Come on, Lieutenant, we need to secure the pods." Carth grabbed a blaster rifle from a Sith corpse, checked the charge and chucked it to the Mirialan. He also grabbed on for himself and ran the same check, before going to the doorway and glancing in.

"Clear, let's move."

"Yes, sir."

The two of them half walked/half jogged down the corridors, check each time they came to a corner.

They were nearly to the escape pod chamber when a helmeted filtered shout sounded behind them, "Shoot them!"

Blaster fired whipped around them, the lieutenant caught a bolt to the back of the knee and went down, screaming. Carth grabbed the back of her uniform and began dragging her towards the corner, firing his blaster blindly over his shoulder. He heard the Lieutenant opening fire as as well. A bolt gazed his neck, sudden the world tilted and rang like a thousand General Quarters alarms were ringing in his head. Carth staggered forward, still dragging the Lieutenant.

After what seemed like nightmare of glaring red eyes whipping past them, he got to the corner and yanked the lieutenant in behind him. His hearing was back but his neck ached.

"Lieutenant, are you able to..." Carth's word shudder to a stop, the lieutenant had a third eye socket, smoking slightly, in the middle of her forehead, her head lolling from side to side. Still more blaster burns laced the Mirialan's torso, her blaster's power pack deleted. Carth nearly gave up right there, when more blaster fire, the hair raising sound of a vibroblade activating and a distinct sound of meat being cleaved apart.

Quick footsteps move towards him. Carth backed up, dropped his empty blaster and drawing out his blaster pistol.

A black and grey blur rounded the corner at high speed, not slowing, and seemingly bounced off the wall and charged Carth. Carth jerked his baster to the figure, only to stop realizing it was Corinth, in nearly full Mandalorian armor, except for her helmet. There was a cut on along her jawline that seemed cauterized. Her armor has scored by recent blaster fire, her vibrosword bloody and her blaster pistol's barrel still steamed. Corinth halted a step away from Carth.

"Captain." She said, her voice seeming weary, she had probably been fight off Sith forces longer than him.

"Mandalorian."

She glanced at the lieutenant, "I'm sorry I didn't make it in time."

Carth grunted in agreement.

Corinth moved quickly past Carth continuing in the direction of the escape pods.

Carth suddenly remembered, "Wheres the Jedi Master?"

"If that was the other female Jedi, she's dead. Move!"

Both Carth and Corinth moved quickly down the corridors one checking one side while the other checked the other, they rushed through the last two rooms together and Carth palmed the control panel opening the last escape pod's hatch and they dove in.

Corinth immediately slammed down on a seat going for the safety harness, Carth was going for the emergency supply container, his fingers just brushing the unlock switch, when his side flamed in pain and he smashed into a seat, just as red bolt of energy drove into the spot where his back had been a millisecond before. Corinth moved almost supernaturally fast her hand somehow releasing the safety harness that usually took two hands. Her fist hitting the button to close the hatch, pausing only a heartbeat before jabbing the eject button.

She managed to get back to her seat directly across from Carth, who realized she had kicked to get him out of the way of the blaster shot.

An annoyed hiss, made Carth look up, Corinth seemed to be trying to put the safety harness clasps back together but they seemed bent somehow.

The escape pod began it's stabilizing spin.

Suddenly, the emergency supply container burst open, due to it being weakened by the blaster bolt, sending the supplies flying.

Carth, held to his seat by his harness could only watched as the emergency medical supply case nailed Corinth in the side of the head, Corinth giving a strange grunt as her head lolled to the side, a faint sprinkling of blood misting the wall near her head. Her body, no longer forced against the wall by the pressure of her legs slumped over on to the seats, her body spooned by the curve of the escape pod hull. The rest of the supplies were pressed into the slight depression made by the hatch, stopping them from continuing to fly around the enclosed space like missiles.

Carth felt defeated, he couldn't tell if Corinth was alive or dead, the shudders in the hull, interfering with any cursory examine for her chest rising and falling with breathing. Carth felt alone, weary from the death of so many soldiers and Jedi. He was quite possibly the only Republic soldier in the system, isolated in a system under the thumb of the Sith, with no possible rescue.

So Carth did the only thing he could do; wait until the pod crashed into the surface of Taris.


End file.
